The Nashville Predators have lost only one playoff game on home ice since last April, so to say they feel comfortable on Broadway probably is an understatement.
They’re going to need to continue the kind of play that’s helped them win 10 of their last 11 home playoff games when the Stanley Cup Final shifts to Nashville on Saturday with the Pittsburgh Penguins up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Preds defenseman P.K. Subban has no shortage of confidence in his team heading home, guaranteeing a Game 3 victory just moments after Nashville’s Game 2 loss.
Given a night to think about everything and gather his thoughts, Subban had a chance Thursday to backpedal. Instead, he doubled down.
“I feel even more confident now that I’ve had a night of rest,” Subban told reporters Thursday, according to NHL.com. “There’s no question. We’re going to win the next game and then we’ll move forward.”
And as far as Subban sees it, the Penguins just held serve in the series’ first two games.
“Well, they did what they had to do,” Subban said. “I mean, that’s what they’re supposed to do. They wanted to take the games at home, and now we have two games at home and we want to take both. At the end of the day, it starts Saturday and you want to take one game at a time. We’ve had tremendous success in our building and we’re going to take advantage of it.”
Likely adding to Subban’s confidence is the fact Bridgestone Arena, considered by many to be the NHL’s loudest arena, will be rocking for the first Cup Final game in franchise history. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
